Holy Father is close in prayer and thought to American people

Last Tuesday, 11 September, when the Holy Father heard the news of the
two massive terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, in which thousands of
persons lost their lives, he sent a telegram to President George Bush in which
he expressed "his profound sorrow for the unspeakable horror of the inhuman
attacks against innocent persons and his closeness in prayer to the nation in
the dark and tragic moment". You can find the text of the Holy Father's
telegram on the front page of last week's issue.
On Wednesday, 12 September, the Holy Father laid aside his catechesis on
the psalms and turned the General Audience into a Liturgy of Prayer for the
victims of the attacks, for their families and for the nation. In this week's
issue on page 11, you can find the Holy Father's address and the text of the
prayer of the faithful that was used for the prayer service for the living and
the dead. The Holy Father noted that the day was a dark one in the history of
mankind, but that the last word comes from Christ's victory of love over sin,
hatred and death. "Christian hope allows us to pray for those who do evil
and for those who have to take the path of recovery. Even if the forces of
darkness appear to prevail, those who believe in God know that evil and death do
not have the final say. Christian hope is based on this truth; at this time our
prayerful trust draws strength from it". The Holy Father prayed that the
Lord grant the American people the courage they need in their hour of trial.
On Thursday, 13 September, the Holy Father received the Letters of
Credence of the new American Ambassador to the Holy See, H.E. Ambassador James
Nicholson. The Holy Father again expressed his closeness in prayer to the
American people and his sense of profound sadness over the tragedy. "I pray
that this inhuman act will awaken in the hearts of all the world's peoples a
firm resolve to reject the ways of violence, to combat everything that sows
hatred and division within the human family". He said that it should pave
the way for a "new era of international cooperation". The address can
be found below.
On Friday, 14 September, at noon, the Holy Father interrupted his
activity to join in the prayers for the dead and the survivors. We publish a
photo of the Holy Father in prayer on Friday. In the dicasteries and offices of
the Holy See, the officials offered the Angelus and prayers for the dead
in union with the Italian people and authorities and the rest of Europe.
On Sunday, 16 September, at noon, at the end of his visit to the city of
Frosinone, 80 kilometres south of Rome, the Holy Father made one of his
intentions for the Angelus a prayer for the American people as they pick
up their lives after the tragedy. We offer the text just below: "May Mary welcome the dead, console the survivors, support those
families who are particularly tried, help all to resist the temptation to hatred
and violence, and to dedicate themselves to the service of justice and peace".